Maumturk Mountains SAC (site code 002008) Conservation objectives supporting document - blanket bogs and associated habitats NPWS Version 1 July 2017 Contents 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 1.1 Maumturk Mountains SAC ................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Mapping methodology ....................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Potential for habitat restoration ......................................................................................... 4 2 Conservation objectives ............................................................................................................. 4 3 Area ........................................................................................................................................... 5 4 Range ........................................................................................................................................ 6 5 Structure and functions ............................................................................................................. 6 5.1 Ecosystem function ............................................................................................................ 7 5.1.1 Ecosystem function: soil nutrients .............................................................................. 7 5.1.2 Ecosystem function: peat formation ........................................................................... 7 5.1.3 Ecosystem function: hydrology ................................................................................... 7 5.2 Community diversity .......................................................................................................... 7 5.3 Vegetation composition ..................................................................................................... 8 5.3.1 Vegetation composition: positive indicator species..................................................... 8 5.3.2 Vegetation composition: other desirable species ........................................................ 8 5.3.3 Vegetation composition: negative indicator species ................................................... 9 5.3.4 Vegetation composition: non-native species ............................................................... 9 5.3.5 Vegetation composition: undesirable native species ................................................. 10 5.4 Vegetation structure ........................................................................................................ 10 5.4.1 Browsing and grazing................................................................................................ 11 5.4.2 Burning..................................................................................................................... 11 5.4.3 Sphagnum condition................................................................................................. 11 5.5 Physical structure ............................................................................................................. 11 5.5.1 Disturbed bare ground ............................................................................................. 12 5.5.2 Drainage ................................................................................................................... 12 5.5.3 Erosion ..................................................................................................................... 12 5.6 Indicators of local distinctiveness ..................................................................................... 12 6 References ............................................................................................................................... 14 1 Introduction Achieving Favourable Conservation Status (FCS) is the overall objective to be reached for all Annex I habitat types and Annex II species of European Community interest listed in the EU Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. It is defined in positive terms such that a habitat type or species must be prospering and have good prospects of continuing to do so. Almost 19% of Ireland can be considered to support upland habitats (Perrin et al., 2009). The importance of these areas for biodiversity conservation is unquestionable, with numerous upland habitat types listed under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive and many rare and threatened bird and other animal species being associated with these habitats. This is reflected in the fact that over 40% of the total terrestrial area currently selected for designation as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) in Ireland lies above 150m in altitude. The Scoping Study and Pilot Survey of Upland Habitats (Perrin et al., 2009) was commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) with the primary remit of devising an appropriate strategy and methodologies for conducting a National Survey of Upland Habitats (NSUH). Four phases of the NSUH have since been completed between 2010 and 2014. The principle aims of the NSUH are to map all habitats within a site and to assess the conservation condition of the relevant Annex I habitats, listed in Table 1 below. The conservation objectives attributes and targets, which are based on the monitoring criteria developed by the NSUH, have been applied to the Annex I habitats listed as Qualifying Interests for Maumturk Mountains Bog SAC (see Table 1 and Section 2). A blanket bog site within Maumturk Mountains SAC was surveyed by Douglas et al. (1989) as part of a wider blanket bog survey project across Ireland carried out by NPWS between 1987 and 1991 (see Conaghan, 2000). Table 1: Annex I habitats that occur in Irish uplands and which are primary focus habitats for the NSUH. Habitats in bold are those that are listed as Qualifying Interests for Maumturk Mountains SAC. Habitat code Habitat name 4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix 4030 European dry heaths 4060 Alpine and Boreal heaths 6230 Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas, in Continental Europe)* 7130 Blanket bogs (*if active bog) 7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs 7150 Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion 7230 Alkaline fens 8110 Siliceous screes of the montane to snow levels (Androsacetalia alpinae and Galeopsietalia ladani) 8120 Calcareous and calcshist screes of the montane to alpine levels (Thlaspietea rotundifolii) 8210 Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation 8220 Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation * Denotes a priority habitat under the EU Habitats Directive 3 1.1 Maumturk Mountains SAC Maumturk Mountains SAC is 13,472ha in extent. The SAC lies directly east of The Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex SAC (site code 002031) and north of Connemara Bog Complex SAC (site code 002034) in Connemara, Co. Galway. It is bounded to the east by the Leenaun/Maum road (R336) and to the north by Killary Harbour (O.S. Discovery Series map 37, 38, 44 and 45). Some of the highest peaks within the SAC include Barrslievenaroy (702m), Letterbreckaun (667m) and BinnMhor (661m). Several rivers run through the SAC including the Owentooey River, Bealanabrack River and Folore River. Notable lakes include Lehanagh Lough, Lough Shindilla, Loughanillaun and Maumwee Lough. Geologically the area is predominately underlain by quartzites, gneisses and schists with some areas of marble, metasediments and volcanics. 1.2 Mapping methodology A detailed habitat mapping survey of Maumturk Mountains SAC, utilising the methodology presented in Perrin et al. (2014), has not been conducted. Therefore, the data currently available are not sufficient to facilitate the production of an accurate habitat map. All current relevant datasets for Annex I habitats were summarised within the GIS files associated with NPWS (2013) and these were utilised to calculate an approximate area for 4010 Wet heaths, 4060 Alpine and Boreal heaths, 7130 Blanket bogs (* if active bog) and 8220 Siliceous rocky slopes in Maumturk Mountains SAC. There were no data with which to estimate the approximate areas of 7150 Rhynchosporion depressions in the SAC. 1.3 Potential for habitat restoration Restoration management for 7130 Blanket bogs (* if active bog) in this SAC is required, as the conservation objective for the habitat is to restore favourable conservation condition here. Areas that might be restored to active blanket bog could include inactive bog, bare eroding bog and recent cutover bog, and also areas of drained deep peat or older cutovers which currently support other types of vegetation such as heath. These latter areas may be classified as other Annex I habitats (e.g. 4010). Restoration of priority 7130 habitat may therefore result in loss in the area and distribution of other Annex I habitats that are Qualifying Interests. If such scenarios are identified by restoration management plans, the conservation objectives for these other Qualifying Interests should be adjusted accordingly. 2 Conservation objectives A site-specific conservation objective aims to define the favourable conservation condition of a habitat or species at site level. The maintenance of habitats and species within sites at favourable condition will contribute to the maintenance of favourable conservation status (FCS) of those habitats and species at a national level. Conservation objectives are defined using attributes